Personal computers (PCs) and many other computing devices include a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), which is used to configure hardware and load the operating system (OS) upon power-up of the device. More specifically, upon power-up, a processor loads and executes the BIOS instructions to identify, test, and initialize hardware installed in the device. By initializing the hard disk, system memory, video card, network devices, and the like, the BIOS prepares the device to load and execute the operating system. The user may, in turn, interact with the operating system to execute applications.
In addition to enabling basic operation of the device, the BIOS also allows for low-level user customization and control of the hardware. In particular, a typical BIOS includes a graphical user interface, which allows the user to tweak hardware settings. For example, the user may modify the boot sequence, configure drives, and configure power management settings.
Unfortunately, to the average user, the options presented in the BIOS user interface are intimidating and difficult to understand. Furthermore, even users with substantial knowledge may be reluctant to modify settings of the BIOS for fear of rendering the device inoperable. Thus, the ability to tweak the BIOS settings has traditionally been limited to all but the most technically-savvy users.